Frieze Week auctions see mixed results: Italian Sales slump, Contemporary Art soars
During Frieze Week in London, the auction houses Christie's, Sotheby's, and Phillips showcased differing results. Christie's Italian Sale achieved slightly more than £18 million, which is less than half of the £43 million record set in 2015, featuring 14 lots that went unsold and a sell-through rate of 76%. Among the notable unsold pieces was a Michelangelo Pistoletto valued between £700,000 and £1 million. Pino Pascali's "Coda di delfino" fetched £2.2 million. In contrast, Sotheby's Italian Sale garnered £23 million with an 84% sell-through rate. Christie's Contemporary Art auction surpassed £34 million with 90% sold, led by Adrian Ghenie's "Nickelodeon" at £7.109 million, while Sotheby's Contemporary Art sale reached £48 million, highlighted by Gerhard Richter's "Garten" at £10.2 million. Phillips' auction concluded with a total of £22 million.
Key facts
- Christie's Italian Sale totaled just over £18 million, less than half of 2015's £43 million record.
- 14 lots went unsold at Christie's Italian Sale, with a 76% sell-through rate.
- Pino Pascali's 'Coda di delfino' sold for £2.2 million at Christie's.
- Carol Rama's 'Presagi di Bimam' (1994) sold for £179,000 against a £20,000–30,000 estimate.
- Marco Voena bought Enrico Castellani's 1962 'Untitled' for £1.415 million.
- Sotheby's Italian Sale achieved £23 million with 84% sold.
- Salvatore Scarpitta's 'Forager for Plankton' sold for £2.2 million, doubling its previous auction price.
- Adrian Ghenie's 'Nickelodeon' (2008) set a record at £7.109 million at Christie's Contemporary Art sale.
- Gerhard Richter's 'Garten' (1982) sold for £10.2 million at Sotheby's after a bidding war.
- Sotheby's Contemporary Art sale totaled £48 million, the highest October total for the house.
- Phillips' sale totaled £22 million, with many lots selling below estimate.
- Andy Warhol's 'Twenty Pink Maos' (1979) sold for £4.7 million at Phillips, below its £6 million estimate.
Entities
Artists
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
- Alighiero Boetti
- Giulio Paolini
- Alberto Burri
- Pino Pascali
- Carol Rama
- Enrico Castellani
- Salvatore Scarpitta
- Adrian Ghenie
- Thomas Schütte
- Jean Dubuffet
- Alexander Calder
- Gerhard Richter
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Peter Doig
- Andy Warhol
- Frank Auerbach
- Cy Twombly
- David Smith
- Mel Ramos
- Günther Förg
- Ettore Spalletti
Institutions
- Christie's
- Sotheby's
- Phillips
- Artribune
Locations
- London
- United Kingdom
- New York
- United States